EMOTIONAL INTELIGENCE AS CORRELATE OF ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EDO

CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT, EDO STATE

BY

ONOLEMHENMHEN P. E. (PHD)
Department of Guidance & Counseling,
Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

&

OGBONNA, CHINENYE HENRY

Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma.
 Abstract

The study examined emotional intelligence as correlate of academic achievement

of senior secondary school students in central senatorial district of Edo State,

Nigeria. The study adopted the correlation research design. The population of the

study was 5,935 senior secondary school one (SSS one) students in the 69 public

secondary schools in Edo Central senatorial District. The proportionate sampling

technique was employed in the study while a sample of 594 SSS one students was

used. Ten percent (10%) of the students in each local Government was drawn as

sample from the district. Two instruments were used for the study. The first was a

questionnaire titled Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EMIQ) while the second

was a student academic achievement proforma. The test-retest reliability alpha

yielded a value of 0.75 which was considered reliable for use in the study. The

result showed that there is a positive relationship between emotional intelligence

and academic achievement of senior secondary school students in central senatorial

district of Edo State. It was recommended that school guidance counselors with the

support of other professional counselors should employ guidance services such as

information, orientation and counseling service in secondary schools to inform,

orient and counsel students indentified with some emotional challenges in order to

develop their emotional skills and thus facilitate their academic achievement.

KEY WORDS: Emotional Intelligence, Academic Achievement, Correlate

Introduction

Education has been acclaimed as an important instrument necessary for effecting

national change and development in every given society. The federal Republic of

Nigeria – FRN(2013) categorized education into various aspects, namely; Basic

Education, Post –Basic Education and Career Development, mass and Nomadic

Education, Tertiary Education, Open ad Distance Education and Special Needs

Education. The importance of Post-Basic Education and Career Development

(PBECD) among other aspects of education in the school curriculum cannot be

over emphasized. One of the objectives of Post-Basic and Career Development

(PBECD) is to raise morally upright and well adjusted individuals who can think

independently and rationally, respect the views and feelings of others and

appreciate the dignity of labour (FRN 2013). In order to raise morally upright and

well-adjusted individuals who can think independently and rationally, respect the

views and feelings of others and appreciate the dignity of labour, Akinboye (2003)

accentuated that learners must have high level of emotional intelligence.

Academic achievement on the other hand refers to the learning outcome of a

student on a subject or group of subjects after a period of class instructions. Duruji

Azuh and Oviasogie (2014) defined it as the degree of a student’s accomplishment

on his/her studies. They noted that the conventional approach for measuring level

of academic achievement of a student on a subject or group of subjects within a

period of instruction is often expressed in standard grades of percentages 70-100%

(Excellent/Distinction); 60-69% (Very good), 50-59% (Good/Credit), and below

40% (fail). Duruji, Azuh and Oviasogie (2014) reported that students’ academic

performance in the last few decades has recorded abysmal performance in both

external and internal examinations. Poor academic performance can be very

frustrating and its effects can be equally grave on the individual and even the

society. In August 2013, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) gave the

outcome of the May/June 2013 exercise as achieving a 75 percent failure in

English Language and Mass failure in Mathematics. This is saddening because

these subjects (English language and Mathematics) are considered Prerequisites for

taking other subjects in higher institution. Akinfe, Olofinniyi and Fashiku (2012)

noted that the academic achievement of students in English Language and

Mathematics in the past one decade has been on the decline. Interest is therefore

geared towards finding out the variables that can predict students’ academic

performance.

Hypothesis:

There is no significant relationship between emotional intelligence and the

academic achievement of senior secondary school students in central senatorial

district, Edo State.

Scope of Study

The study examined whether emotional intelligence correlates with academic

achievement of students in secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District.

Emotional intelligence of students covered: Self-awareness, self-management,

social awareness and relationship management while academic achievement covers

the aggregate (overall) achievement score of senior secondary school one students

during their Junior Secondary school certificate Examination (JSSCE) in the

2015/2016 academic session. Only students in senior secondary school (SSS) one

was covered in the study because they have successfully completed a standardized

examination - Junior School Certificate Examination (JSSCE).

METHOD OF STUDY

Design:

The study adopted the co-relational research design because the researcher is

interested in determining the relationship that exists between the first variable

(emotional intelligence) and the other (academic achievement) of students in

public secondary schools in Edo Central senatorial District.

Sample

The proportional sampling technique consisting of 10% of the students in each

local Government was employed in the study to draw a sample of 594 senior

secondary school students from a population of 5,935 SSS students.

Instruments:

Two (2) instruments were used for the study. The first was a questionnaire while

the other was student’s academic performance proforma. The questionnaire titled
“emotional intelligence questionnaire” (EMIQ) was used to collect data on

emotional intelligence of learners in secondary school. The questionnaire was

divided into sections: A and B. Section A was used to collect data on information

about the school while section B of the questionnaire dealt with information on

emotional intelligence of respondents. The items in Section B of the questionnaire

dealing with emotional intelligence was adapted from the Emotional Development

Scale (EDS) developed by Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden

Dernheim (1998) in their work titled “Development and Validation” of a measure

of emotional intelligence. The scale contains 33 items covering four psychometric

properties measuring adaptation, the 33 items rated on a five (5) point scale

ranging from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1) with a neutral stem of

neither disagree nor agree (3) was modified to a four point likert scale. The

modification was arrived at by reviewing the neutral stem (neither disagree nor

agree - 3). All the items were rated on a four point likert scale. A bench mark mean

score of 2.50 was used to determine high or low emotional intelligence. This is

obtained by adding up the four (4) likert type scales (strongly Agreed-4, agreed -3,

disagreed -2 and strongly disagree -1) and dividing the sum of the scales (10) by

the total number of scales (4) to give 2.50. Hence a mean score of 1 – 2.49 was

considered low emotional intelligence while a mean score of 2.50 and above was

considered high emotional intelligence.

 The second instrument (students’ academic performance proforma) was used

to collect data on students’ academic performance (cumulative) in their last Junior

Secondary School certificate Examination in English Language and Mathematics.

Data on the students JSSC examination results were obtained and correlated with

the current emotional intelligence status of students.

RESULTS

Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Achievement of

Senior Secondary School Students in Edo Central District, Edo State

Variables X S.D Pearson p-value Alpha Remarks

Coefficient (r) (p) level (α)
Emotional intelligence 2.62 .456 Null
0.757 * 0.000 0.05 hypothesis
Rejected
Academic achievement 2.24 .580 (p<0.05)
N= 594 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).
Data above showed that the Pearson correlated coefficient (r) of 0.757 was

significant since the probability value (p) was greater than 5percent alpha level

(p<0.05). Therefore, the null hypothesis which was tested was rejected; thus, the

alternate hypothesis is accepted. This explained that there was a significant

relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of senior

secondary school students in Edo Central Senatorial District, Edo State. The

positive r-coefficient also shows that emotional intelligence and academic

achievement have a direct or positive relationship between them. Hence, the

relationship between emotional intelligence and academic achievement of students

in senior secondary schools in Edo Central Senatorial District, Edo State are

positively and significantly correlated.

DISCUSSION

Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Students’ Academic

Achievement in Senior Secondary Schools in Edo Central Senatorial District.

The result showed that there was a significant relationship between emotional

intelligence and academic achievement of Senior Secondary school students in

Central Senatorial District, Edo State. Perhaps, the reason for this outcome is

because many students have high emotional intelligence which makes them speak

about their personal problems with others; hold a positive expectation about doing

well on most things; and re-evaluate events to address what is important and not

important. Furthermore, the direct relationship between emotional intelligence and

academic achievement shows that a rise in the former (emotional intelligence)

could bring about a rise in the latter. The possible reason for this could be due to

students’ awareness of their emotions as they experience them; their ability to

share their emotions with others; ability to sustain positive emotions and recognize

their emotions easily as they experience them.

The result is in agreement with that of Emeke (2010) who stated that

students with high emotional intelligence showed better academic performance

than the students with low emotional intelligence. The result corroborates that of

Nasir and Masur (2010) who stated that emotional intelligence significantly predict
academic achievement among the 132 students in different university in Islamabad

Packistan. The result also corroborates that of Oyewunmi Osibanjo, and Ademiji

(2016) who affirmed that emotional intelligence predicts academic performance.

The result is in line with that of Emong, Entigar, Omar and Ramli (2014) who

stated that emotional intelligence is established as a key predicator variable in the

success of students’ academic achievement and life. The result supports that of

Upahyaya (2013) who posited that emotional intelligence is positively related to

academic achievement and that students-teachers with high emotional intelligence

scored better in theory and practical examination than the student-teachers with

low emotional intelligence in Allahabad India. The result is also in agreement with

that of Nwadinigwe and Azuka-Obieke (2012) who revealed that there is positive

relationship between emotional intelligence skills of student and his/her academic

achievement in Lagos, Nigeria. In addition, the result supports that of Ogundokun

and Adeyemo (2010) who demonstrated that the moderator variable (Emotional

intelligence) significantly predicted academic achievement.

The result however disagrees with that of Olatoye, Akintunde and Ogunsanha,

(2010) who opined that there was a very low negative insignificant relationship

between creativity and CGPA scores. Thus, the higher the students’ creativity, the

lower the CGPA score. Also the result further disagrees with that of Patil and

Kumar (2006) who noted that there is no significant relationship between the

emotional intelligence and academic achievement of students. The result is also not
in consonant with that of Suliman (2010) who found no significant relationship

between emotional social intelligence and academic success.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that emotional intelligence

has a positive relationship with academic achievement of senior secondary school

students in Edo Central Senatorial district of Edo State, Nigeria.

Recommendations

1. School guidance counselors with the support of other professional counselors

should employ guidance services such as information, orientation and

counseling services in secondary schools to inform, orient and counsel parents,

teachers and head teachers on the need to facilitate the emotional intelligence of

their students and children/wards.

2. School authorities should endeavor to identify students with low emotional

intelligence to be provided with an intervention plan to support them

academically in order to promote their academic achievement.

Implications for Guidance Counseling

The study has some implications for Guidance Counseling in schools. First, the

result has shown that increase in emotional intelligence corresponds with increase

in the academic achievement of senior secondary school students in Edo Central

Senatorial District, Edo State. This outcome has implication for the introduction of
information, orientation and placement services in schools by school guidance

counselors. Information services are considered important in schools to ensure that

parents/guardian are well informed about the importance of emotional intelligence

(emotional quotient) in determining career decisions based on students’ learning

abilities and academic achievement at school. For most parents/guardians, what

their children/wards study, the class they should be put in and future career path

are often based on their children/wards’ academic intelligence or intelligence

quotient (IQ). The outcome of the study has shown that intelligence quotient (IQ)

is not the sole determining factor as emotional intelligence or emotional quotient

(EQ) is just as important in raising well-adjusted learners in school. The

implication therefore is that failure of school guidance counselors to properly

inform parents/guardian about the importance of emotional intelligence in the

academic achievement of their children could adversely affect learners’ academics

at school.

Secondly, the result of this study has implications for the provision of orientation

and placement services by school guidance counselors. While orientation services

will help students to be well-informed about how to manage their emotions and

stay confident and efficacious about any academic task; placement services will

help guidance counselors and parents to be decisive on the class, task and career

path that matches each students’ emotional intelligence and perceived self-

capabilities.
Lastly, the outcome has some implications for the introduction of school psycho-

personal intervention programme for students in various classrooms to help

identify students with low emotional intelligence and thereafter proffer a

therapeutic intervention that could help students to promote their emotional

stability and secure their competencies for competitive advantage among their

peers at school, at home and the society at large.

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